The Low Carb Jersey Mike's Hack That Gets You A 'Sub In A Tub'

Though the sandwich chain Jersey Mike's was just purchased by a private equity firm for $8 billion, the company doesn't appear to have any changes in store for the day-to-day operations in its locations. Whether you order your sub Mike's Way, or like to customize your sandwich with lots of add-ons and swaps, Jersey Mike's has an option that will please even the pickiest eater, as long as they like bread, cheese, and sliced-on-premises cold cuts. But there's a menu hack that was recently embraced by the sub chain which opens it up to a whole range of people with dietary restrictions.

The hack? "Sub in a tub," where people who live the low-carb or carb-free lifestyle can order their favorite sandwiches without the bread. Instead, all the cheese, meats, toppings, etc., get placed in a bowl, or tub, so that everyone can enjoy all the flavors of Jersey Mike's without the carbs. Apparently, the chain saw this happening and decided to revive marketing around this hack (strategically close to the new year, too) by submitting for the public a reminder about their sub bowls, which include all the ingredients of any of its subs, chopped up into bite-size pieces (which, like the sandwiches, can also be customized).

While low-carb and keto eaters have been enjoying the sub in a tub hack for years, there are other groups who follow dietary restrictions that could benefit from Jersey Mike's sub bowls. In addition to cutting simple carbs, the sub bowls are a great way for high protein eaters to consume lots of these macronutrients, especially if they double the meat. They're also a great option for gluten-free dieters to avoid bread altogether (since gluten-free bread isn't always the best), and it also provides at least one less potential touchpoint for cross-contamination for their meal.

Finally, did you know that one of the main sources of sodium is actually bread? If your health compels you to eat in a heart-conscious way, but you still have a yen for Jersey Mike's, it's not completely out of the question, thanks to their sub bowls. By choosing to make your regular-size sub a salad, you can save yourself almost 600 mg of sodium, and then pick a lower sodium meat option, like its roast beef, and further drive down sodium levels by not including cheese in your bowl.